A dangerous sinkhole that emerged in February on the R563 road in Krugersdorp, Mogale City, is disrupting traffic and putting motorists’ lives at risk.

DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Roads, Transport, and Logistics, Evert Du Plessis MPL, who conducted an oversight inspection at the road on Wednesday, expressed concern that there was no immediate budget to repair the sinkhole.

The sinkhole has raised serious public safety concerns, having caused over 10 accidents since its formation in February.

Du Plessis explained that the sinkhole remains a persistent problem on the provincial road, a key route frequently used by trucks transporting goods between Gauteng and the North West province, including Botswana.

“They saw the problem in February, and it was not as big as it is now, but in the last four months, it has sunk more,” he said.

He said he was not aware of any timeline for allocating a budget to fix the sinkhole.

He said a local councillor and residents had asked the relevant authorities about plans to fix the sinkhole, but were informed that there was no budget allocated for the repairs.

“It is quite dangerous because it sits right on the left lane of the road. It is also where the authorities demarcated the two new lanes, and there are also no lights there, and it is very dark,” he said.

The DA, he said, demands that the Gauteng MEC for Roads, Transport, and Logistics, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, urgently repair the R563 road.

During an oversight inspection, Du Plessis discovered that the massive sinkhole had spread from the side to almost the middle of the road. 

“This is a danger to motorists and pedestrians. This road is busy and has had numerous accidents over the last few months. Residents complain about the damage to their tyres. There are no streetlights, and it is pitch dark. A number of the non-electric safety signage is sitting at the bottom of the sinkhole,” he said.

Du Plessis stated that geo-specialists visited the site on Tuesday to assess the road’s condition, and while funding will be required for further testing, they will closely monitor whether the necessary repairs are actually carried out.

“The road should not be closed because it would lead to huge disruptions and loss of revenue. Furthermore, the area is prone to sinkholes, there is a cave system close by, and illegal miners operate in the area.” 

He said the DA will continue to hold the department accountable, questioning Diale-Tlabela in the legislature and demanding action, especially given the additional R314.9 million adjustment budget allocated to the department.

“The DA-led Gauteng Provincial Government will not return any transport budget to the Treasury until all necessary repairs are done on all our provincial roads. Safe roads are critical to growing the economy and keeping our citizens safe,” he said.

rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za

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